PhD positions

Are you fascinated by the molecular machinery of life? Join us as PhD student!

We are looking for an PhD candidate with enthusiasm for molecular dynamics simulations and biological membranes.

Join us as PhD student at Saarland University within a EU-funded Doctoral Network under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01-01). You will become part of a cohort of 13 PhD students jointly trained in modern biophysical techniques involving both computational and experimental approaches. While your PhD project will be purely computational, you will closely collaborate with our key partner at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland). Two secondments—one in a research-oriented startup company in Lausanne and one with another computational academic partner—are anticipated.

Project

Membrane fusion is a key process during viral infection, molecular signaling, and drug delivery by lipid nanoparticles. Rationally controlling fusion—either to inhibit viral infection or to drive drug release—is a central goal of membrane biophysics. Our group has developed techniques based on molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations for studying large-scale membrane transitions, such as membrane fusion and transmembrane pore formation. In this project, you will develop free energy calculation techniques to understand how membrane composition, membrane-active proteins, and membrane hydration control membrane fusion. We aim to develop new approaches to better understand the fusion pathway and to manipulate fusion in the context of health and disease.

By EU mobility rules, applicants must not have resided in Germany for more than 12 months in the past three years.

Please visit EURAXESS for more details to learn how to apply: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/359389.